CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE PIER
Robert, Marcia and the rest had completed the packing by early afternoon. They were unwavering in their professionalism and left Mac’s house nearly cleaner than when they arrived.
Mac traded hugs and well wishes with them and waved as they drove up the hill to the highway. She watched until their vehicles were out of sight and then turned her attention to the southeastern sky. Black and gray clouds were a harbinger of the new storm that was gathering strength and due to hit landfall after dark. Cool ocean breezes were picking up speed and bullying the defenseless beaches and surrounding brush.
She went back inside her cottage and heated a cup of coffee in the microwave. The house felt so empty with all the equipment and investigators gone. Mac stood in her living room and listened as the wind searched out every open crack and whistled at her.
She looked to a corner where a camera was once mounted and went through the series of hand signals Marcia taught her when they were first mounted. She smiled at her actions and took a sip of coffee.
She turned her attention to the coffee table and recalled that it had been awhile since she had checked on the puzzle. She sat on her couch, held her cup in both hands and gazed into the puzzle. She was amazed to see that the little girl was gone.
“Where have you gone to now?” Mac asked of the mute puzzle.
Mac rose and opened her front door. She surveyed the area, expecting to see evidence of the girl somewhere nearby but saw and heard nothing. She thought a minute then hurried to her bedroom. Miss Julie was no longer on her dresser. Mac smiled and finally put two and two together. The little girl was leaving the puzzle and playing with the doll.
“I guess Miss Julie has found a new mother!” said Mac with a pleased smile.
Mac thought about all the things that still needed to be done around the house, her daunting task of finding a new job and the dreaded ordeal of buying a car. None of those thoughts held any appeal so she put them all off and resolved to go see Shingo instead.
She went to the kitchen, rinsed out her cup and gathered her windbreaker from the back of the couch. She suddenly caught a wisp of smoke. It smelled like her father’s pipe tobacco. She looked around the living room and saw his favorite pipe resting on a small table standing next to his beloved recliner.
She ran to the pipe and examined it. The pipe bowl was cold and empty but there was a strong trace of the smoke still around the chair.
“Daddy?” asked Mac of the empty room. “Please talk to me if you’re here.” She waited and then said, “If you can’t talk, then please find some way to indicate that it’s you.”
Mac toured the rest of the house slowly and stealthily as she searched for any indication of her father’s presence. She returned to the living room and was disappointed in the fruitless search.
Mac sighed deeply and said, “This is so frustrating. Am I going to spend the rest of my life being taunted by whispers, smells and strange events? You aren’t being very fair. In fact, you’re being downright cruel. I’ll say this one last time. Either come forward and talk to me or leave me alone. If anything else happens, I’m going to ignore it and continue doing whatever it is I’m doing. Do you understand me!!??”
Mac waited again and only heard wind whistling through a space under her front door.
“Good, now that we have that out of the way, I’m going to the Cuda Shack. I’m going to eat lunch and visit with a real friend. One who doesn’t play tricks on me, or tease me and actually answers me when I talk to him.”
Mac slipped on her windbreaker and slammed the front door as she left. She gave her house an angry look and started for the Shack.
Halfway up the beach she was met by an invigorated Waldo. He was excited to see her and jumped all over her, wiping his wet, sandy paws on her jacket and slacks. Mac smiled and searched for a stick to toss. She found a piece of driftwood and threw it as far as she could. She loved watching the dog dig his rear paws into the sand and tear after the stick. Waldo overran the stick the first time but circled around immediately, bit into it and ran full speed back to Mac. She continued to throw the stick until Waldo was too tired to run it back. On her last throw, he was reduced to a quick gait, rather than a run. When he caught up to the stick, he bit into it, let it fall back out of his mouth and dropped his weary body to the sand. Mac went to the panting dog, sat next to him and rubbed his head.
“Let’s go see Shingo and get you some fresh water.”
Mac rose and was accompanied to the Cuda Shack by an exhausted, slow-moving Waldo. He more dragged his feet than lifted them.
“We need to talk to your buddy about your exercise program, Waldo. I wore you out way too soon. Maybe you’re getting too many treats.”
Waldo’s ears perked up and his tail wagged in a rhythmic beat like a hairy metronome when Mac said treats. He whipped his head up and searched out Mac’s eyes. Chasing sticks and eating treats were what Waldo lived for but Shingo was lacking in the chasing stick department.
“Oops. I think I accidentally said the magic word, didn’t I? I’ll see what I can do about it when we get to the Shack.”
As soon as they entered the Cuda Shack, Waldo went straight to his water dish and slobbered down the remaining contents. Mac went to the “cookie jar” and snagged a couple of treats for him.
“Here you go, pal,” she said as she tossed them to him. Mac smiled as Waldo apparently swallowed them after only a couple of bites.
Mac saw Deputy Collins huddled with Shingo near the cash register and from the serious look on their faces, they weren’t talking about who was going to the World Series.
“Hey, Mac,” said Shingo.
Deputy Collins turned around, smiled and said, “Afternoon, Mac.”
“Deputy Collins was just telling me that there is absolutely no more concern about Curtis Blanchard. His body was discovered a couple of hours ago.”
“Where did they find it?” asked Mac of the deputy.
“A man was jogging on the beach this morning and found it.”
“Marcia said it wouldn’t take too long to surface,” said Mac.
“I have to get back on patrol. I just wanted to let you guys know what was going on. At least you know he’s not out there somewhere waiting.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it,” said Mac.
The deputy went to the door, waved and returned to his police car.
Shingo waved and said, “Catch ya’ later. Stay safe.” Then he smiled at Mac and said, “I’ll bet you could go for some coffee right about now.”
“I can always go for a coffee.” Mac glanced at Waldo, who was scratching his bed to get it just right. Once he had it exactly right, he curled up, yawned once and closed his eyes. She looked back at Shingo and said, “Did they find the body far from here?”
Shingo brought Mac a steaming cup of coffee and replied, “It was down near the Grady Hotel. From the deputy’s account, Curtis did not have a very pleasant end.”
“Really? What do you mean?”
“Curtis was buried up to his neck in sand, with gray tape across his mouth. They buried him right near the water’s edge, so he would drown slowly when the tide came in. When the jogger found him, crabs had already started peeling bits of flesh from his face. I guess if you live hard, sometimes you die hard too.”
“You should have waited until dinner time to tell me that story,” said Mac.
“Why?”
“It would have killed my appetite and helped me cut back on all the food I’ve been eating lately. I think I’ve gained at least two or three pounds since I’ve been here.”
Shingo looked at Mac’s slim, trim figure and laughed. “Maybe we should start you on an emergency diet!”
“Do I really look that bad?” asked Mac.
“Of course not. You look great. I was just kidding.”
“I just remembered something,” said Mac.
“What’s that?”
“Did you ever hang the photo of
Billy and Katherine that you had framed?” asked Mac.
“You haven’t seen it yet?”
Mac shook her head. “Your friend brought it in when I was here but I never saw it unwrapped.”
Shingo came from behind the counter and said, “Follow me, my dear!”
Just then, a man wearing an orange hardhat and carrying a clipboard walked into the Shack. He shook Shingo’s hand and said, “We finished the final inspection of the pier and it looks good to go for tomorrow.”
“I’m glad you were able to hold off the replacement until now. Having that monster crane in front of my shop and being closed during tourist season would have killed me. What time do you think you’ll be here?”
“We’d like to get started at sunrise. The storm should be long gone by then and we’ll have the rest of the day to finish.”
“All right,” said Shingo.
The man turned around, headed for the door and said, “See you tomorrow.”
“Something’s wrong with the pier?” asked Mac.
“One of the pilings has been cracked for a couple of years. Each year the crack gets longer and wider. The inspectors have determined that the crack is reaching its breaking point so they’re going to replace it.”
Mac thought for a minute and said, “That’s so weird. There’s a crane in my puzzle with a piling dangling from a chain. The small shop behind it could even be the Cuda Shack.”
“That is weird,” commented Shingo. He took Mac’s upper arm gently and said, “Let me show you the picture before we get distracted again.”
Shingo escorted Mac to his photo collection and pointed to his newest addition. “Billy and Katherine were lost at sea shortly after that photo was taken.”
Mac looked at the photo, jerked it from the wall and held it close to her face. “Holy shit!!” she exclaimed. Mac’s blood pressure shot through the roof. Her heart began pumping blood at super speeds and she started to feel light-headed. The little girl was wearing yellow shorts and a yellow top. She had blonde hair and was toting a black, book bag with a doll’s head sticking out of the top. The mystery girl that had delivered her a paint set, had played with Waldo and was probably the one taking Miss Julie, was Billy’s daughter, Katherine.
“Shingo, this is the little girl I’ve been seeing. I don’t know how or why but I guarantee you it’s the exact same girl that’s been hanging around me since I’ve been here!”
Shingo took the photo from Mac and examined it. “You’re positive?” he asked.
“I’m as sure of that fact as I am that you’re standing next to me right now! How’s that possible?”
“If I knew the answer to that question, I’d be a rich man in many ways!” stated Shingo.
Mac took the photo back from Shingo and stared in continued disbelief. “I’ll bet Katherine lost her doll at sea and was looking for a new one. That’s why she borrowed mine.”
“At this point, Mac, I’m willing to believe just about anything. I can’t feel the same excitement you’re feeling, since I haven’t had the benefit of sharing your experiences. I am extremely interested though.”
“You knew Katherine, didn’t you?” asked Mac.
“Yes. She was a wonderful girl with a voracious reading appetite. She was wise, kind and thoughtful beyond her years,” recalled Shingo fondly. “She always had a free smile and was rightfully cautious of strangers. Every time she came into the Shack, she filled the room with happiness. I’ve thought of her many times and missed her terribly. I wish she would have come to see me as well.”
“My God, Shingo. What’s next?”
Shingo thought for a moment and said, “Did you ever see that movie where this woman buys a house near the sea and a dead sea captain moves in with her? Maybe Billy, Katherine and your parents will move in with you!”
Mac was overcoming her initial shock and calming down. She thought of the possibility of having ghosts living in her house and said, “House guests like those should be low-maintenance, wouldn’t you think?”
Shingo smiled and said, “I would think so!”
Mac put the picture back, got her coffee from the counter and sat at a table. Shingo pulled a chair opposite of her and joined her.
“Now that all the excitement is over, I feel kind of empty.” said Mac. “Somehow I thought I’d feel better inside once I found out who the mystery girl was but I don’t. Now that I know she’s a ghost, it only adds to the emptiness.”
Shingo extended his hand across the table and said, “I know I’m not much help to you, but I’ll always be here for you Mac.”
“Don’t say that, Shingo. You’re my best friend. I don’t ever want you to think that I don’t realize how important you are. I’ve always counted on you in times of crisis and there have been many times you’ve pulled me through some rough water. You’re always there when I need you.” Mac rose from her chair, walked to the other side of the table and put her arms around him while he sat. She kissed him softly on the cheek and said, “You’re my forever friend. Never forget that!”
“Thanks, Mac.”
She returned to her seat, brought her cup to her lips and took a sip of the cold coffee. “Hmmm, nothing like cold coffee to stir the spirit. Is the port warmer still on?”
“It should be. Let me get that for you,” offered Shingo. He poured some warm coffee in her cup and brought it back. Mac sat and looked at Shingo and the two enjoyed a few quiet moments together. She finished her coffee and walked to the big window overlooking the ocean.
The lights from the pier shown down on the ocean surface and highlighted erratic, choppy waves and foamy caps. She could hear the wind buffeting the window, struggling in vain to enter the restaurant. “You know, Shingo…I love it so.” Then Mac remembered what the voice had twice told her. It said, “The pier” and Mac seemed to finally have an understanding of what it meant. She walked to Shingo and said, “I’ve been so confined lately, I need to stretch my legs a bit. I think I’ll take a walk out on the pier for a few minutes and take in some salt air.”
“Would you like some company?” he asked kindly.
“Not this time.” She put her arms around him and said, “I don’t think I ever told you before but I love you, Shingo. I think I always have.”
Shingo’s eyes began to burn and it took all of his focus to suppress a copious flow of tears. He put his arms around Mac and said, “I love you, too!”
The wind was slapping everything around and blowing things away that were too weak to resist. Mac pulled away and walked out his door. The wind caught the door and slammed it shut. Waldo heard the disturbance and sprang to his feet. He produced a mild “woof” and began sniffing the air. Something outside caught his attention and he ran to the door Mac used to go to the pier. Waldo scratched at the base and cried to get out.
“It’s okay, buddy. It’s going to storm out there and it’s just the wind,” said Shingo in a calming voice.
Waldo jumped up and rested his paws on the windowsill. He looked directly at Mac and watched her walk further out onto the pier, until she was no longer in sight. Then he went to the table where she was sitting and curled up against her chair.
Mac put her hands on the guardrail at the end of the pier and took a deep breath as the wind sprayed a fine mist of saltwater on her face. She turned her back to the ocean and glanced back at the Cuda Shack. She could see the lights on inside but couldn’t tell if Shingo was watching or not. Mac closed her eyes and wiped some of the saltwater from her face. When she opened them she saw the little girl in yellow walking toward her. She was carrying her book bag in one hand and holding Miss Julie against her chest in the other.
“Hello, Katherine,” said Mac in a kind, happy voice when the girl stopped in front her.
“Hello, Miss Mason,” said Katherine.
Mac looked at Miss Julie under Katherine’s arm and bent down to her. “I guess you already know her name.”
“Yes, ma’am. I know she wasn’t mine to take but I tried to ask
you if I could borrow her to play with but you couldn’t hear me,” said Katherine as she offered the doll to Mac.
“It’s a funny thing because I don’t play with dolls anymore. I only repaired her so I could find a new mommy for her.” Mac eased the doll back under Katherine’s arm and said, “You keep her. You’ll make a fine mommy.”
“Thank you Miss Mason,” said Katherine as she adjusted the doll and smiled.
“I’d prefer it if you called me Mac. All my friends do.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“I’m sure. What would you like me to call you?” asked Mac with a smile.
“I prefer Katherine. My dad has some nicknames for me but I still prefer Katherine.”
Mac held her hand out and said, “Well, Katherine, it’s a real pleasure to finally meet you. I can’t wait to see your dad again. We were good friends a long time ago.”
Katherine shook Mac’s hand and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you too. My dad talks about you all the time. I know he’s wanted to see you for a long time.”
“Yeah? I’ve missed him a lot. I didn’t realize how much until recently. I’ve got a lot of things to tell him.”
“He said the same thing about you. You two can talk on the boat. He should be here soon.”
“I thought so,” said Mac.
The sea became strangely calm and Mac could hear a low humming sound coming from somewhere out in the ocean. The pier vibrated slightly as the sound became louder and louder.
Mac stood, took Katherine’s hand and faced the open sea. She turned her head and looked back at the Cuda Shack one last time and said, “Goodbye, dear friend. You’ll be just fine…I promise.” She looked at Katherine and smiled as she heard the sound of gushing water coming at her. Mac looked to the sea and continued to smile as a giant, white wave rose to an unbelievable height and then came crashing over her and Katherine. Seconds later, Mac, Katherine and the wave were gone.
Shingo had been watching through the window and although he couldn’t see her, he knew Mac was somewhere at the end of the pier. When he saw the giant, white crest slam the pier, he feared the worst and ran out to check on her safety.
He ran as fast as he could to the end of the pier and found no trace of Mac. He was shocked to see that there was no damage to the pier. A giant wave like he just saw should have crushed the end of the pier but everything was as it should be. The lights were still intact and lit and a small wooden bench was exactly where a fisherman kept it. Even the windsock continued to sway to and fro in the wind.
He ran back to the Cuda Shack in a panic, called the emergency rescue squad and explained what he had just witnessed. They were somewhat concerned about weather conditions but wasted no time in launching full scale rescue efforts nonetheless. Shingo made another trip out to the end of the pier and watched as three rescue boats searched back and forth with huge searchlights and nets. Unfortunately, they found no trace of Mac and had to cease operations when the full brunt of the storm hit.
Shingo made the long trek back to the Cuda Shack and closed the exterior storm shutters on his windows. He bolted all of the doors shut and prepared to wait out the storm. He knew there was nothing else to be done. If they were lucky, Mac’s body would wash ashore and they would be able to give a proper burial. If not, he would arrange some kind of memorial service for her.
Shingo turned off all of the lights, sat on the floor with his back against the dining counter and openly wept. Waldo crept over to him and offered a few affection licks to Shingo’s cheek. The he curled beside him and rested his jaw on Shingo’s right leg. Waldo’s eyes tracked the tears dropping from Shingo’s face, to his waist. The dog whimpered a few times, obviously sharing Shingo’s rare display of painful emotion.
Shingo patted Waldo’s head and said, “It’s okay, buddy. I’m a little sad right now. I lost my best human friend and it hurts so bad I can barely stand it.” Shingo wept on and off until the storm passed about an hour later. Waldo didn’t budge the entire time.
Shingo went to his kitchen, turned on the light and rinsed his face with cold water. Then he went outside and began one more pilgrimage to the end of the pier. Waldo put his paws on the table where Mac had been sitting and picked up her coffee cup with his teeth. He pushed the door to the pier open with his paw and caught up to his buddy.
Shingo’s pace was more of a shuffle and it took him four times longer than normal to reach the end guard rail. When he got there, he rested his elbows on the wooden rail and stared into the darkness.
Waldo stopped to Shingo’s right and looked up at his buddy, still holding Mac’s cup with his teeth. When Shingo glanced at Waldo, the dog wagged his tail, stuck his head through the opening in the railing and dropped Mac’s cup into the ocean.
“She forgot her cup, didn’t she? We both know how much she loved her coffee.”
Waldo sat next to Shingo and shared his gaze seaward. Suddenly, Waldo cocked his head to left and to the right. He stood on all fours, wagged his tail and expelled a couple of friendly barks.
“There’s nothing out there, pal. It’s just the wind,” said Shingo as he patted Waldo’s head. Waldo continued to stand on all fours, wag his tail and maintain a fixed stare at a point about 100 feet in front of them. He was looking at something Shingo couldn’t see and no matter how hard he looked, would never be able to see. Waldo was staring at two figures on a yacht. One of them was Billy and the other one was Mac. They were standing on the starboard side of Billy’s yacht, each with an arm around the other’s waist.
Mac looked to the end of the pier and waved to her father, who was standing to Shingo’s left and had his arm around Shingo’s shoulders.
She turned to Billy and said, “Will Shingo ever be able to see or hear me?”
“Someday, perhaps,” replied Billy with a smile.
“Will he be okay?” asked Mac.
“He’ll hurt for awhile but your dad and Naomi will help him through it. After we sail the seven seas on earth, I’ll teach you how to surf some 600 foot waves on a planet two galaxies that way,” said Billy as he pointed to the sky.”
“Sounds exciting. Has Katherine tried it yet?” asked Mac.
“Are you kidding? She’s a natural!” Billy looked to the east and said, “Time to weigh anchor and get underway.”
Billy moved to the anchor chain and before he started pulling it up he said, “Remember when you painted my boat and then complained because I didn’t thank you? Well I did thank you but you just couldn’t hear me.”
“Sorry, I didn’t understand any of it then,” said Mac.
“By the way, I know Rembrandt’s full name but I’m curious why you selected it. Care to share that with me?” said Billy with a questioning look.
Mac chuckled, “Whenever we refer to a great composer or artist, we always use his last name. Like Bach, Strauss, Monet or Picasso. For some odd reason, everyone refers to Rembrandt by his first name. I selected his name because of that oddity.”
“Gotcha’,” he replied.
Katherine came from below decks with Miss Julie under her arm and said, “Are we ready yet, Daddy?”
“We’ll be leaving just as soon as I get this anchor up.” A couple of minutes later, Billy walked to Katherine, caressed her hair and said, “Okay, Sweet Pea. Latch onto the wheel and take us out!”
Seconds later, they were gone. Waldo’s tail stopped wagging and he finally sat down next to Shingo.
Shingo glanced down at Waldo and said, “Let’s go home, Pal.”
Mac’s father disappeared as Shingo and Waldo ambled back to the Cuda Shack. They were nearly back to the Shack when Shingo spotted someone walking on the beach. He went to the railing and shouted, “Is that you, Floyd?”
The man on the beach stopped, turned and looked to the pier. He waved and shouted back, “Hey, Shingo. Yeah, it’s me. I’m just locking up.”
“Have a good night and stay safe,” said Shingo as he and Waldo lethargically continued to the Sh
ack.
Floyd walked up to the Ferguson’s front door, checked the doorknob and then went to Mac’s house. He walked inside, looked around and located the puzzle box. Then he went to Mac’s coffee table and carefully swept all of the pieces into the box; making certain he hadn’t missed any. He tucked the puzzle box under his arm and carried it with him until he completed his security check.
He made sure all the windows were locked, turned off each inside light and went outside. He locked the front door, turned and stood smiling on her porch. He paused to listen to the waves caressing the sandy beach and inhaled as much of the saltwater air as his lungs would allow. “I’ll miss that smell. I’ll miss all of this. I know of nothing else that can sedate the senses and massage men’s souls as effectively as the ocean.” He brought the puzzle from under his arm and smiled as he directed his eyes to the changing cover picture. “Have you ever been to Mississippi?”
Floyd strolled to the beach and turned northwest into the cool darkness, while a little girl’s faint laughter echoed to shore on the back of unseen, meekly behaving waves.
THE END
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Rod Mertes
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Blue Castaway
Lightning In The Western Sky
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